Years
by Bone Structure
Summary: Years have passed, Jane and Maura have slipped into domestic bliss, when Jane remembers Casey's proposal... Based on a prompt by socks-lost.


This is based on a prompt I saw on tumblr by socks-lost. I read it and immediately had to write it. Enjoy!

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**Years**

by Bone Structure

On her fortieth birthday, Jane was successful at two things. The first was tackling a two hundred and fifty pound ex-football player (and present day murderer) to the ground. The second was throwing out her back doing so. After a month of physical therapy, Jane's doctor – who was surprisingly not Maura but unsurprisingly one of Maura's friends – gave her a clean bill of health and suggested that Jane start incorporating more exercise into her life.

Jane was never unfit, her job and her hobbies in decent shape, but the years were getting to her. She wasn't twenty anymore, and her doctor informed her that keeping a regular work out schedule, actively going to the gym several times a week, especially if she lifted, she could help avoid any future blow outs. So she started going to the gym several times a week, even getting herself a trainer. And now Jane Rizzoli could say that at forty-two, she was in the best physical shape of her life.

If only that extended to other aspects of her life, thought Jane as she entered Maura's house. Her body and her work were better than ever, but her romantic life…

"Are you going to shower now?" called Maura from the kitchen, knowing that Jane had just come from the gym.

Maura was wearing her glasses, as she had started to do often the past few months. Jane liked them, not only did it open the opportunity for a slew of new nicknames, _four-eyes_, but she liked the way they framed Maura's face whenever she peered up at her. "I should be done making dinner in about twenty minutes. You have time to clean up."

"Do I still get dinner if I don't shower?" Jane walked up to Maura, putting her hand on the other woman's shoulder from behind before planting a kiss on the side of her head.

"Let me think about it…" Maura looked up at Jane, giving her a smile that Jane had become accustomed to seeing every day. "If you plan on being within five feet of me, I highly suggest you do." For emphasis, she sniffed the air around Jane, scrunching up for nose.

"Are those doctor's orders?"

"Well, I am a doctor. It just depends on what you consider to be an 'order.' "

"I'm gonna take that as a yes. I'll be done in time for dinner."

Maura felt Jane's fingers run across her waist as Jane walked away, a gesture that wasn't unfamiliar and always filled her with warmth.

Fifteen minutes later, Jane walked down the stairs, wearing an old pair of navy basketball shorts and a white tank top, both of which she kept in a drawer Maura had freed up for her.

"Didn't I throw out those shorts?"

"Oh, so you putting them in the trash last week wasn't an accident?" Jane lifted her eyebrows as she held out her plate, on which Maura served her two large steaks.

"Jane, those shorts have a hole in them, a rather large one at that!" Reaching over, Maura reached her hand over, poking Jane's butt right where the ripped fabric of her shorts revealed her underwear.

"Eh, it's just a butt cheek. And it's just you here. They're comfy."

Making a mental note to stop buy the department store as soon as she could and purchase a couple new pairs of basketball shorts for Jane, Maura picked up her plate and brought it to the living room. If you had told Maura five, six years ago that she would be eating dinner while sitting on her couch, watching TV, she would have laughed. Now, it just felt comfortable.

The two women ate in relative peace, exchanging few words over their meal. Time passed and they eventually set their empty plates down on the table (Jane had even eaten her vegetables), and they slowly began to gravitate toward each other. Instinctually, Jane's arms stretch over the length of the couch. Moments later, Maura scooted over and found herself nestled contently in the crook of Jane's arm.

"Do you want to keep watching?" Maura asked as a program ended.

Intending to check the time, Jane pulled her phone out of her pocket. As the light lit up, her eyes first glanced at date, written in large white letters across her screen. Reflexively, her face scrunched up, her eyebrows furrowing.

"What's wrong?"

Jane looked back at Maura, making sure to clear the expression on her face.

"Nothing at all."

Fix, six years ago, Maura might have believed that. But not today. Today, she looked at Jane, a small _mph_ escaping from her lips and her eyes peering up from her glasses in the way Jane liked.

Jane sighed, knowing Maura for long enough that she wouldn't let it go.

"Did you know that Casey proposed me five years ago today?"

A small _oh_ fell from Maura's mouth.

"Do you regret saying no?" Maura asked, her heartbeat slow increasing as she spoke. She hadn't remembered the last time Jane spoke about Casey and suddenly hearing his name again made her nervous.

"I don't," said Jane to Maura's relief. Casey took away her best friend from her. Casey wanted to spend every night with Jane. Casey wouldn't want Jane to put her arms on Maura while they watched television. Casey complicated things.

"Then why did you make that expression?"

"It's been five years and I could count on one hand how many dates I've had since then." Jane lifted her hand up, her fingers slowly beginning to count off. "I've been on three dates. Three guys, no second dates. How many dates have you been on?"

"I would have to think about it," Maura said, pushing up her glasses by the bridge. "I've been on a couple second and third dates. I don't recall if I've gotten farther than that, honestly."

"Does that bother you?"

"I could ask you the same."

Jane sighed. Recently, the thought had begun to permeate her mind. Did she care that she was single?

"I think it does sometimes. I don't feel alone. I don't feel _lonely_… But some of the relationshipy stuff would be nice."

"Sex?"

Five, six years ago, Jane might be surprised at how blunt Maura was. But now, she almost expected it.

"Ya," Jane replied, her voice was almost inaudible at first, but then picked up strength as she continued to speak. "Sex would be nice… that's really it, I guess."

"You don't want anything else?" There was a strange quiver in Maura's voice that didn't go unnoticed by the detective. It sounded almost like fear.

"No, I'm happy." Jane arms was still around Maura's shoulder, and she gave the other woman a light squeeze, bringing her even closer in. "I have everything I need right here."

Maura head was still resting on Jane's chest, and she could feel the other woman's pulse pick up, just as her pulse was. She suddenly felt nervous again. Not in a fearful way, but in a way that told her things were about to change.

"What if you could have more?" Maura immediately bit her lip after the words were said, tilting her head up to make eye contact. Jane's eyes widened slightly, her pupils darkening.

"More?"

"Yes, more. We could have more."

"More? What kind?" Jane had no idea why she was playing dumb. The words came out of her mouth before she could think about them. The moment unfolding before her seemed so unreal.

"Sex, Jane. We could have sex."

Eight years ago, Jane might have laughed at the suggestion. Six years ago, she would still have laughed, ignoring the tingling in her limbs. Four years ago, she would have tried to shrug it off. Now, she only had one question.

"We could?" Hope. Hope rang in the tone of Jane's voice. A hope that Maura could sense, one that made her cheeks flush with red.

"I would like it."

Jane had spent a lot years subconsciously praying for this moment. And now that she had it, she had no idea how to verbalize her want. Instead, she took her free arm and wrapped it around Maura as well. She pulled the woman into a full hug, bringing her legs up to the couch, wrapping them around the smaller woman.

Maura couldn't do anything but bask in the feeling of Jane's love. Maura preferred not to think in terms of metaphors, but she swore she could almost feel the love radiating off Jane's skin, she could feel it enveloping her.

"Why haven't we earlier?" Jane finally managed.

"I didn't realize it was a possibility for us."

"I don't think I did either."

Maura wished she had something else to say, but nothing felt urgent. It took over three decades, but Maura finally had everything she wanted. She had companionship. Jane brought routine to her life, but also chaos and excitement. She brought recklessness, but also safety and care. To the outside world, the two women might seem like opposite, but Maura choose to believe they were more like two sides of the same coin. Jane had poured into Maura's life and filled in all the empty cracks she didn't realize were there.

Ten years ago, if you asked Maura if she would ever have this, she would have quietly shook her head no. But now, she would smile. She had complete, unconditional love. She had Jane Rizzoli. And she would have her for the rest of her years.


End file.
